HIS FRIENDS 
291 
respondence during thirty-five years, in which each 
confided his pleasures and sorrows, hopes and fears, 
intentions and happenings to the other. About 520 
letters are extant from Linne, though many have 
probably been lost. On the other hand all letters from 
Back except fifteen of early dates, have not been 
traced. Probably this was due to the fact that all the 
correspondence was entrusted to Back for his funeral 
speech on his beloved friend, and presumably he kept 
his own letters when he returned those of Linne. 
These letters show in the liveliest manner the 
thoughts which were occupying Linne’s mind at the 
time of writing. It has already been stated (p. 193) 
that Back was a competitor for the post which Linne 
obtained in 1741, and after that date, he undertook a 
journey abroad, returning in 1745, when he became 
Assessor in the College of Medicine. In 1748, he 
bought a court practice for 14,000 dalers [,£1,050], 
“ far too dear,” thought Linne, “ it grieves me and the 
whole modest world.” The next year he became body 
physician, and in 1752, President of the College, to the 
intense delight of Linne, who would therefore “ break 
the necks of some bottles of wine and drink from 
them, even if that gave him a megrim.” 
Back’s position as acting body physician at court 
made him an intermediary in such matters as purchases 
for the Royal Collections, or Linne’s visits to the 
palaces of Drottningholm and Ulriksdal. Linne 
invited Back to show to the Royal family the move¬ 
ment of the stamens of Berberis when touched with a 
pin, “ in the same way as [Back] felt the pulse of a 
damsel after the method of Paracelsus; see and 
marvel at it! ” 
The most diverse matters were handled by Linne 
in his letters, including his friend’s affairs. He took 
the greatest interest in the news that Back had become 
engaged to a certain lady, and hastened to convey his 
hearty congratulations, but more trustworthy com¬ 
munications showed that this engagement was mere 
